Monsal Dale railway station

Monsal Dale

The station remains in 2006
Location
Area Derbyshire Dales
Coordinates 53°14′40″N 1°44′09″W / 53.2445°N 1.7357°WCoordinates: 53°14′40″N 1°44′09″W / 53.2445°N 1.7357°W
Operations
Pre-grouping Midland Railway
Post-grouping London, Midland and Scottish Railway
History
1 September 1866 Station opened
10 August 1959 station closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
UK Railways portal

Monsal Trail[1][2]

Legend
Topley Pike junction
Chee Tor #1 tunnel
Millers Dale
Millers Dale viaducts
Litton Tunnel (516 yards)
Cressbrook Tunnel (471 yards)
Monsal Dale
Headstone Viaduct
Headstone Tunnel (533 yards)
Great Longstone
Hassop
Bakewell
Coombs Road viaduct (end of trail)
Haddon Tunnel (1,058 yards) (closed)
Rowsley (proposed extension)
Rowsley South (proposed extension)
Darley Dale (proposed extension)
Peak Rail line

Monsal Dale railway station was opened in 1866 by the Midland Railway on its line from Rowsley, extending the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway.

The original intention was merely to have a goods depot to serve the nearby Cressbrook Mill, to be called Cressbrook or Cressbrook Sidings. However a passenger station would also serve the villages of Upperdale and Cressbrook.

The down line and platform was built on a shelf carved in the rock face, while the up was built on wooden trestles over the hillside. The wooden buildings for the latter were obtained from Evesham railway station.

It was written :

"There is not in the whole range of Peak scenery such a lovely landscape in so small a space as can be viewed from the platform of this singular and romantically situated station." [3]

The station closed in 1959,[4] the down platform edge can still be seen, nothing remains of the up platform or timber buildings.

From Monsal Dale, the line proceeded through Cressbrook 471 yards (431 m) and Litton 515 yards (471 m) tunnels to Millers Dale on its way north. Cut through solid limestone, they were both complex tunnels on a gradient of 1 in 100, and curved to allow the line to conform to the terrain.

Today this section of line forms part of the Monsal Trail, an 8.5 miles (13.7 km) walk and cycleway. The tunnels previously mentioned were re-opened in 2011, and the previous path diversions over the river via a permissive path by Cressbrook Mill are still available.

Route

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Millers Dale   Midland Railway
Monsal Trail
  Longstone

References

  1. "Monsal Trail Derbyshire Peak District Litton Cressbrook Mill Cycling Bike Track Disused Railway". Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  2. "Monsal Trail structures". Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  3. Truman, P., Hunt, D., (1989) Midland Railway Portrait Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing
  4. Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.